Max Furst of The Watcher dives deep into the making of Out of the Dark, balancing doom and heavy metal, and their growth as a band. Discover their journey here!
1. Can
you share the journey behind Out of the Dark? What inspired you to take your
soundto the next level after the success of Your Turn to Die?
When we
released Your Turn to Die, I had been sitting on the recording since 2017 so I
was just thrilled to finally have it out. After 4 years of feeling little hope
that things would ever come to fruition, that alone was a major victory. Seeing
how excited people were with the record was very inspiring, and it quickly
prompted us to begin talking about doing a full album.
The songs
on the EP were written before the band had a singer, so they were written
purely on instinct, or “feel”. The fact that we crossed paths with a singer who
not only complimented the music but also elevated it, was incredibly fortunate.
With Paden in the group, the band finally had a voice and those vocals served
as an anchor for the future album’s writing process. It opened up a lot of
possibilities for me as a songwriter, and it allowed the band to stretch our wings
a bit beyond what we had tried to do up to that point.
We started
writing for Out of the Dark in May 2021, the title track being the first song
we completed in July of that year. The journey from there involves countless
rehearsal recordings, demos, phone calls, thousands of text message exchanges
kicking around ideas and a tremendous amount of effort invested by Paden, Chris
and myself, all leading up to where everything came together in the studio in
late 2023.
2. The
album features a balance of doom elements and traditional heavy metal energy.
How do you approach blending these styles while keeping your sound unique?
That's a
difficult question to answer to be honest with you. I suppose it also depends
on what someone would consider “doom”. Beyond the NWOBHM and other classics
like Maiden and Sabbath, a lot of that energy comes from influences such as
punk and hardcore. Chris is a naturally energetic drummer and I think that is a
big part of what makes the songs what they are. We couldn’t play too slow even
if we tried! So I really couldn't say that it was a conscious effort to blend
styles, it just came out that way as an amalgamation of the players.
3. The
themes on Out of the Dark revolve around a "human journey through a doomed
world." Can you elaborate on the concepts behind the lyrics and how they
tie into the album's flow?
The best
way to describe it would be embracing the existential dread of our modern
world, and finding strength in that darkness to charge through this life
unhindered. Concepts of pain, struggle and triumph of the spirit. While I can
only speak to the music itself, I can say that the album’s flow was very
intentional. I wanted to tell a story with just the dynamics and mood of the songs.
It is modeled after a lot of our favorite records, all of which contain the
same fundamental building blocks that make them so effective.
4. The
album artwork by Burney is striking. How did you connect with Burney, and how does
the artwork reflect the mood and themes of the record?
I came
across Burney’s work by way of a painting he did for Necrofier’s 2023 album. It
immediately caught my eye amidst the hundreds of other new releases of the
moment. When I saw his other work I was absolutely floored. His graphite pieces
were particularly striking to me with the photorealism he was able to capture
in the medium. I contacted him around February 2024 and he graciously responded
willing to take on the commission. From there it was a very engaging and
collaborative process of working together to develop the piece over the coming months.
As discussed, one of the overarching themes of the band is about triumph over the forces in this existence that torment you, be it external or internal struggles, figurative or literal demons. I think Burney’s piece captures that mantra beautifully.
5. What
was the recording process like at Artifact Audio with Sasha Stroud? Did you encounter
any challenges or breakthroughs during the sessions?
The
recording process was surprisingly positive, which feels unusual for me as
recording has often been fraught with tension in the past. This time, it was
the total opposite. Sasha is an incredibly talented engineer and phenomenal
musician with an intuitive ear. She was pivotal in bringing the album to life.
Her input kept us on track, and her support during moments of fatigue was
invaluable. Thankfully, we encountered very few challenges overall.
The main
breakthrough that comes to mind was when we tracked “Exiled”. When we laid it
all down in the studio, it felt OK, but we all felt that there was something
missing. Listening back, Sasha immediately knew what to do. She got her Korg
Prologue setup, dialed in the settings and in one take, she performed a single,
subtle but profound overdub onto the song. It suddenly felt complete.
6. Tracks
like “Thy Blade, Thy Blood” seem climactic and epic. Which song from the album do
you think best represents The Watcher’s growth, and why?
“Thy Blade,
Thy Blood” was definitely the song where we were stretching the most beyond our
normal boundaries. I think we came pretty close to reaching what we were aiming
for, but we’ll have to wait and see what other people think once they hear it.
Even so, for me, the song that best represents our growth would be “Burning World” as it was the first song we wrote together, as a band. Up to that point the band was very much a long-distance project. Music is a very intimate artform and the electricity that comes from playing with other people cannot be replicated when you are working demos in a room by yourself. I think that energy comes through in the track and ultimately that is why we wanted to lead with this as a single for the album.
7. Your
live lineup now includes Nelson Ribas and Dylan Kulpa. How have they
contributed to your sound and performance as you prepare for gigs across the
East Coast and beyond?
Nelson is a
long time friend, of course. We had played together in Malleus for some years
and he was privy to a lot of the writing process of The Watcher album. Having
him join the lineup felt like an obvious thing. The man is like a rock. Dylan
was introduced to us about a year ago when we started formally assembling the
live lineup. I was familiar with his band, Demon Chrome, but we had never met
personally. He is a super talented musician, killer guitar player with great style.
Having
Nelson and Dylan in the band makes everything feel complete. Above all,
everything clicks on a personal level with the current lineup and I think that
comes through when we perform. I very much hope to sustain this as we continue
onward.
8. Your
music evokes comparisons to bands like Iron Maiden and Pentagram. How do these influences
shape your sound, and what do you think sets The Watcher apart in the NWOTHM
and doom metal scenes?
I’m
personally honored by those comparisons! I think it is a fair representation of
our range of influence, if only a snippet of the greater scope. I have always
loved the (tastefully) melodic side of metal and no one does it better than
Iron Maiden. Pentagram is on the other side of the spectrum, very brute and
cave-man in their ways of writing heavy, doom-inspired, rock and roll.
We never
set out to deliberately be different with our approach, but of course, we hope
our music stands out. I understand that not pandering to a specific subgenre
might alienate some listeners, but perhaps that’s also part of what may help
set us apart.
9. What
can fans expect from your upcoming shows? Are there any specific plans for your
hoped-for European tour?
We still consider ourselves a new band in the big picture. Knowing our place, we strive to keep our live sets short, sharp and to the point. When we do pursue a proper tour, I hope that we can incorporate some of the more nuanced and dynamic songs into our setlist. But for now, we need to be cognizant of our position and aim for efficiency and effectiveness when performing live.
10. Looking
beyond Out of the Dark, what do you see as the next steps for The Watcher? Are there
any future projects or ideas already brewing?
It’s hard
to think too far ahead right now. After three years of effort, the fact that
Out of the Dark is finally set to release at the end of the week feels surreal!
Still, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the finished product and are excited
to hit the ground running. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves for future
releases, but for now, our focus is on honing our live performances and staying
ready for whatever comes our way.
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